HomeschoolrsRUs
06-08-2005, 10:12 PM
Schools need to go back to basics
Cal Thomas
June 8, 2005
HAWKSHEAD, England - At the grammar school where the romantic poet William Wordsworth studied in the late 18th century, one can still learn lessons that might, indeed should, be applied in English and American schools.Apparently believing more than 200 years ago that an idle mind can be the devil's playground, Wordsworth and his classmates spent 11 hours a day in school, five days a week, and half a day on Saturday. They didn't study sex education, or the environment, or any of today's trendy subjects that masquerade as a real education.
Instead, says the school's guide, they studied just three academic subjects: Latin, Greek and mathematics. If they missed three church services during the term, they could be expelled. No ACLU existed then, thank God (then, you could).
One nonacademic subject they also studied was a little booklet called "The Rules of Civility; or The Maxims of Genteel Behavior." While many of the rules can be discarded today (such as the proper placement of one's sword at meals), others recall a lost tradition in human relationships designed to protect and honor half of the human race and to civilize the other half.
There are instructions on how to respect and treat women, often referred to as "ladies." My personal favorite teaches the "proper" way to greet ladies:
The rest of this remarkably brilliant article found here: Cal Thomas: Schools need to go back to basics (http://www.townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/ct20050608.shtml)
A few more of my favorite excerpts:
"It has always been a peculiarity that human beings seem discontent with what works and feel compelled to change, or "improve," what for centuries produced desired results."
"Who concluded that the wisdom of the ages had expired like a "don't sell" label on perishable food? The answer is that no one did. It was forced on English and American societies by tiny elites who thought they knew better than everyone else."
Cal Thomas
June 8, 2005
HAWKSHEAD, England - At the grammar school where the romantic poet William Wordsworth studied in the late 18th century, one can still learn lessons that might, indeed should, be applied in English and American schools.Apparently believing more than 200 years ago that an idle mind can be the devil's playground, Wordsworth and his classmates spent 11 hours a day in school, five days a week, and half a day on Saturday. They didn't study sex education, or the environment, or any of today's trendy subjects that masquerade as a real education.
Instead, says the school's guide, they studied just three academic subjects: Latin, Greek and mathematics. If they missed three church services during the term, they could be expelled. No ACLU existed then, thank God (then, you could).
One nonacademic subject they also studied was a little booklet called "The Rules of Civility; or The Maxims of Genteel Behavior." While many of the rules can be discarded today (such as the proper placement of one's sword at meals), others recall a lost tradition in human relationships designed to protect and honor half of the human race and to civilize the other half.
There are instructions on how to respect and treat women, often referred to as "ladies." My personal favorite teaches the "proper" way to greet ladies:
The rest of this remarkably brilliant article found here: Cal Thomas: Schools need to go back to basics (http://www.townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/ct20050608.shtml)
A few more of my favorite excerpts:
"It has always been a peculiarity that human beings seem discontent with what works and feel compelled to change, or "improve," what for centuries produced desired results."
"Who concluded that the wisdom of the ages had expired like a "don't sell" label on perishable food? The answer is that no one did. It was forced on English and American societies by tiny elites who thought they knew better than everyone else."